suffered like the crusading families of old, and the geographical discoverers 2 of all times. When once their families parted off from home, it was a separation almost like that of death.

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HARRIET MARTINEAU, "Thirty Years' Peace."

A SPECIMEN OF IRONY.

TO HIS HIGHNESS OLIVER CROMWELL.

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* MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS,-How I have spent some hours of the leisure your Highness has been pleased to give me, this following paper will give your Highness an account. How you will please to interpret it, I cannot tell; but I can with confidence say, my intention in it is to procure your Highness that justice nobody yet does you, and to let the people see,10 the longer 11 they defer it, the greater injury they do both themselves and you.12 To your Highness justly 13 belongs the honour of dying for the people; and it cannot choose but be 14 an unspeakable consolation to 15 you in the last moments of your life, to consider 16 with how much benefit to the world you are like

1 Like, etc.......of old, comme jadis les familles des croisésand the geographical discoverers, et celles des explorateurs géographes when once, etc.......home, quand une fois les membres de ces familles-là se séparaient sur le seuil du foyer.

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4 Has been pleased, a daigné-5 this following paper, la brochure que voici6 will give your Highness an account, en instruira votre Altesse-7 I cannot tell, c'est ce que j'ignore-8 my intention in it, le motif qui me l'a inspiré-9 does, rend-10 literally: "and to make see to the people" "that the longer, etc." (see note ", p. 3)-12 the greater, etc.......and you, plus grand est le tort qu'ils se font à eux-mêmes et à vous (see notes ", p. 84, and ", p. 139)— 13 justly, à bon droit-14 it cannot choose but be, ce doit nécessairement être 15 to, pour-16 to consider, que de songer.

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A SPECIMEN OF IRONY.

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165

to leave it.1 It is then only, my Lord, the titles you now usurp will be truly yours. You will then be indeed the deliverer of your country, and free it from a bondage little inferior to that from which Moses delivered his. You will then be that true reformer which you would now be thought; 2 religion shall be then restored, liberty asserted, and parliament have those privileges they have sought for. We shall then hope that other laws will have place besides 5 those of the sword, and that justice shall be otherwise defined than the will and pleasure of the strongest; and we shall then hope men will keep oaths 7 again, and not have the necessity of being false and perfidious to preserve themselves, and be like their ruler. All this we hope from your Highness's happy expiration, who are the true father of your country; for while you live we can call nothing ours,8 and it is from your death that we hope for our inheritances. Let this consideration arm and fortify your Highness's mind against the fears of death, and the terrors of your evil conscience, that 10 the good you will do by your death will somewhat balance the evils of your life. And if, in the black catalogue of high malefactors,11 few can be found 12 that have lived more to the affliction and disturbance of mankind 13 than your Highness has done; 14 yet your greatest enemies will not deny,

1 With how much, etc.......to leave it, quel grand service vous rendrez vraisemblablement au monde en le quittant-2 which you would now be thought, que vous voulez que l'on voie maintenant en vous -they have sought for, qu'il a réclamés-4 will have place, prévaudront-5 besides, que 6 pleasure, bon plaisir-7 oaths, leurs serments -8 we can call nothing ours, il n'y a rien que nous puissions regarder comme nous appartenant-for, to be left out-10 that, à savoir, que-11 of high malefactors, des grands criminels-12 few can be found, on en trouve peu (see notes a, p. 11, and a, p. 50)—13 that have, etc.......mankind, literally: "whose existence has (past subjunctive) more afflicted and disturbed the human kind" 14 than ......has done, que ne l'a fait......(see notes 2, p. 13, and “, p. 29).

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that there are likewise as few that have expired more to the universal benefit of mankind than your Highness is like to do.1 To hasten this great good is the chief end of my writing this paper; and if it have the effects I hope it will,3 your Highness will quickly be out of the reach of men's malice, and your enemies will only be able to wound you in your memory, which strokes you will not feel.5

That your Highness may be speedily in this security, is the universal wish of your grateful country: this is the desire and prayer of the good and of the bad, and, it may be, is the only thing wherein all sects and factions do agree in their devotion, and it is our only common prayer! 8 But among all that put in their request and supplication for your Highness's speedy deliverance from all earthly troubles, none is more assiduous 10 nor more fervent than he, that, with the rest of the nation, hath the honour to be

(May it please your Highness),

Your Highness's present slave and vassal,

The Author of "Killing no Murder."

1 Will not deny, etc.......is like to do, ne nieront pas qu'il n'y en ait également peu qui par leur mort aient rendu un plus grand service au genre humain tout entier que ne le fera probablement votre Altesse 2 of my writing, qui m'a fait écrire (see note 4, p. 87)

if it have the effects I hope it will, s'il produit les effets que j'en attends out of the reach, hors de la portée will only, etc.

..not feel, en seront réduits à infliger à votre mémoire des blessures que vous ne ressentirez point- may be speedily in, puisse jouir promptement de 7 and it may be, etc.......do agree, c'est le seul point peut-être sur lequel toutes les sectes et factions soient unies and it is our only common prayer, et la seule prière que nous fassions en commun- all that put in, tous ceux qui émettent-10 assiduous, constant.

EXECUTION OF FISHER AND MORE.

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THE EXECUTION OF BISHOP FISHER AND OF SIR THOMAS MORE (A.D. 1535).

Mercy was not to be hoped for. It does not seem to have been sought." He (Fisher) was past eighty.3 The earth on the edge of the grave was already crumbling under his feet, and death had little to make it fearful.4 When the last morning dawned, he dressed himself carefully—as he said, for his marriage day. The distance to Tower Hill was short. He was able to 7 walk, and he tottered out of the prison-gates, holding in his hand a closed volume of the New Testament. The crowd flocked about 10 him, and he was heard 11 to pray that, as this book had been his best comfort 12 and companion, so in that hour it might 13 give him some 14 especial strength, and speak to him as from 15 his Lord. Then opening it at a venture, he read, "This is life eternal, to 16 know Thee, the only true God, and 17 Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." It was 18 the answer to his prayer; and he continued to repeat the words as he was led forward.19 On the scaffold he chanted the Te Deum, and then,20 after a few prayers, he knelt down and meekly laid his head upon a pillow where neither care 21 nor fear nor sickness would ever vex

1 Mercy, etc.......hoped for, il n'y avait pas de grâce à espérer— 2 to have been sought, qu'elle ait été demandée-3 he was past eighty, il avait plus de quatre-vingts ans-4 had little to make it fearful, n'avait guère de quoi l'effrayer-5 when the last morning dawned, quand le dernier matin fut arrivé-6 to, jusqu'à 7 he was able to, il était en état de 8 and he, etc.......gates, il franchit d'un pas tremblant les portes de la prison-9 in his, "at the"10 flocked about, se pressa autour de-11 see note ", p. 50-12 comfort, soutien-13 so in that hour it might, il pût également à cette heure some, une-15 as from, comme de la part de-16 this is......to, c'est la......que de 17 and, ainsi que-18 imperf.—19 as he was led forward, pendant qu'on l'emmenait-20 and then, puis-21 care, soucis.

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it more.1 Many a spectacle of sorrow had been witnessed 2 on that tragic spot, but never one more sad than this. Let us close our lips, and pass by and not speak of it. When a nation is in the throes of revolution, wild spirits are abroad in the storm, and poor human nature presses blindly forward 5 with the burden which is laid upon it, tossing aside the obstacles in its path with a recklessness which, in calmer hours, it would fear to think of.8

Sir Thomas More followed, his fortunes linked in death as in life to those of his friend. He was left to the last,10 in the hope, perhaps, that the example might produce an effect which persuasion could not. But the example worked to far other purpose.12 From More's high-tempered nature such terrors fell harmless, as from 13 enchanted armour. Death to 14 him was but passing 15 from one country to another; and he had all along anticipated that his prison was 16 the ante-chamber of the scaffold. .

At length sufficient evidence was obtained, and the High Commission sat again in Westminster Hall,17 to try the most illustrious prisoner who ever listened to

1 Would ever vex it more, ne la tourmenteraient jamais plus2 many a, etc....... witnessed, il s'était passé bien des scènes de douleur-3 and not speak of it, sans mot dire-wild spirits are abroad in, des esprits déréglés se mêlent à-5 presses......forward, se presse......en avant-6 which is laid upon it, dont elle est chargée -7 in its path, qui se trouvent sur son chemin-8 which in......it would fear to think of, dont la seule pensée, à des......la ferait frémir-9"his fate"- 10 he was left to the last, on le laissa jusqu'au dernier moment-11 which......could not, que n'avait pu produire...

-12 worked to far other purpose, eut un tout autre résultat13 from, etc.......as from, sur la nature fortement trempée de More de telles terreurs tombèrent impuissantes, comme sur une-14 to, pour-15 was but passing, n'était que le passage-16 and he, etc....... was, et il avait dès le commencement regardé sa prison comme17 sat again in W. Hall, siégea de nouveau dans la Grande Salle de W.